Ring travelers in spinning machines are subject to wear, such as thread rupture. They must therefore be regularly replaced. In addition to the regular replacement, individual ring travelers must be replaced upon the occurrence of any defects.
Ring traveler replacement involves several steps, including stopping the spinning machine, locating the ring traveler at any random point of a spinning ring and bringing it forward and unlatching it, wherein the thread is released and assumes an indefinite position. A new ring traveler must then be latched onto the spinning ring, whereupon the thread must be hung or slung into the new ring traveler. Ring traveler replacement operations had previously been performed either manually, using, for example, simple tools such as a hook, for unlatching and latching of the ring traveler or a tongue-shaped tool for the latching of a new ring traveler from a storage magazine. These tools require manual dexterity, which can be achieved only by practice or experience.
To overcome these and other disadvantages of previous ring traveler replacement operations, it is an object of the present invention to automate the replacement of ring travelers on spinning or twisting rings.
A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus which may be coupled with a doffing or threading trolley arranged to be displaceable along a spinning machine, wherein the apparatus may sling the new thread into the new ring traveler when replacing the ring traveler or to reconnect a severed thread.
Another object of the invention is to obviate dependence upon operating personnel (who may have more or less manual dexterity) and also to employ the apparatus throughout a twenty-four hour day.
An additional object of the invention is to perform replacement of ring travelers in a uniform, dependable and rapid sequence of operations.